Titans Defense Shines vs. Broncos

The Tennessee Titans are disappointed after a 20-12 loss to the Denver Broncos, but there are some positives to take away from their Week 1 matchup.

The main positives came with the defense, where linebacker Arden Key helped lead the Titans.

"I think we contained [Broncos QB] Bo [Nix] really well. He didn't get out of the pocket a lot. We got two picks out of them, but we definitely did our job which was to keep him in the pocket. He didn't run all over the place," Key said postgame.

Tennessee Titans linebacker Arden Key takes the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Titans also forced four turnovers, which helped them tremendously in keeping the game close. Despite winning the turnover battle by two, the Titans failed to grab the win.

Key expressed disappointment in not being able to win the game despite forcing so many turnovers.

"It's disappointing. We won the turnover battle, and we didn't win the game," Key said.

"Thirteen penalties for 131 yards? That's tough. Then third downs, offensively, was 2-for-13. Defensively, we gave up a couple penalties on third down where we could have been off the field and put the offense in a better situation. We have to capitalize on those."

While the offense couldn't find the end zone all game long, Key took accountability for the defense's shortcomings, which is exactly what a leader on a team should do.

The Titans have their Week 2 matchup coming against the Los Angeles Rams, another team that struggled offensively in the first week of the season. The Rams scored 14 points against the Houston Texans, but their defense held them to just three field goals, leading them to a win.

In order for the Titans to pick up a win in their home opener, Key and the defense will have to continue playing their A-game. The biggest change they need to make comes with penalties.

If the Titans can limit their penalties and continue to generate turnovers at the same rate, the team could get its first win of the season against the Rams at home.

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